Airborne Dust Over Niger and Mali

A close inspection of this image reveals yellow dust blowing about in the air over Niger (right) and Mali (left). Mostly unaffected by the dust due to their high altitude are the Aïr Mountains. Lying in the midst of the Sahara Desert, with an average altitude between 500 and 900 m (1,600 and 3,000 ft), the mountains form an island of Sahel climate which supports a wide variety of life.